A nearly $50,000 settlement has been reached between the Environmental Protection Agency and a Glendale metal finishing company over federal hazardous waste violations at the facility, the agency announced.
Automation Planting Corp. will pay a $49,706 civil penalty for violations of federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations found during a 2019 inspection, according to Soledad Calvino of the EPA.
The inspection determined the company:
- Failed to make a hazardous waste determination for certain wastes generated at the facility;
- Failed to prepare a manifest for shipment of hazardous waste;
- Stored hazardous waste without a permit beyond the 90 days allowed;
- Failed to comply with the labeling requirement for some hazardous waste containers; and
- Failed to keep a hazardous waste container closed.
“Metal plating facilities must ensure they comply with hazardous waste laws to prevent harm to workers and the surrounding community,” EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator John Busterud said.
“Improper management of hazardous waste can lead to fires, explosions or release of hazardous waste into the environment.”
The facility has since resolved the violations and has agreed to develop and implement a standard operation procedure for inspecting and maintaining containment systems associated with operations at the plant, including not allowing trash to accumulate and inspecting for cracks in secondary containment systems, Calvino said.
According to federal law, metal finishing companies are required to properly manage hazardous waste to prevent harm to human health and the environment and to prevent costly cleanups.
Source: NBC Los Angeles